Gilas Pilipinas Boys face an uphill battle ahead following a crushing defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2024 on Wednesday night.
The Philippine team of Coach Josh Reyes absorbed a tough 75-58 beatdown at the Arena Complex in As Salt, Jordan, which has sent them skidding in the tournament after falling short against the host nation barely 24 hours prior.
With that, the crew finished as the no. 3 seed in Group D with a 1-2 record, which is still good enough to reach the Qualification to Quarter-Finals.
However, waiting for them in the said stage is traditional powerhouse and 2022 runners-up Japan, who settled for second in Group C (2-1) following a 68-66 collapse versus China – no thanks to a clutch three by Duan Ruiqi.
Needless to say, the Japanese will go out swinging when they meet on Friday eager to bounce back. And the entire Gilas Boys should be gearing up for that with the hope, of course, to pull off an upset and go deep into the tilt.
If it’s any consolation, which they could carry over to that match, the team showed some fight – especially during the tail-end of their clash versus the Junior Tall Blacks, although it wasn’t enough to impose a major threat.
Wasted by the defeat was the efforts of John Earl Medina, who led the Filipino dribblers with a game-high 30 points on 12-of-20 shooting from the field.
Per FIBA, it is the most points scored by a Team Philippines player in the U18 Asia Cup since Kiefer Ravena dropped 37 in a 91-86 overtime victory – over, coincidentally, Japan during the 2010 competitions held in Yemen.
(C) FIBA.basketball
Mark Esperanza was the only other double-digit scorer in the loss with 14 points, the same amount he produced to lead the team versus Jordan.
In a stark contrast to Gilas’ limited offensive production, three players finished in twin digits for New Zealand, bannered by Carter Hopoi with a huge double-double of 23 points and 16 rebounds, which he laced with four blocks.
Tamatoa Isaac made 16 points, nine rebounds, and six assists while Kahu Treacher chipped in 11 markers and four blocks, too, for the Junior Tall Blacks, who topped the group with a 3-0 card to sweep their way to the quarters.
Sustaining form from its 89-43 conquest of Indonesia on Tuesday, the team from Oceania jumped to a 17-6 start. They then pulled away in the second chapter, with Ezrah Eagle opening it with back-to-back treys to set the tone.
New Zealand would lead by as many as 19 points, although the Philippines tried to rally and got to within 11, 67-56, behind Medina’s two treys in a row with less than four minutes remaining in the deciding chapter.
But they could no longer pull themselves any closer afterwards, as Jonty Bond and the tandem of Hopoi and Isaac put the game away.
The Scores:
Philippines 58 – Medina 30, Esperanza 14, Burgos 4, Cabonilas 3, Ludovice 2, Figueroa 2, Manding 2, Esteban 1, Velasquez 0, Santos 0, Perez 0, Lorenzo 0.
New Zealand 75 – Hopoi 23, Isaac 16, Treacher 11, Eagle 9, Hunt 7, Bond 5, Silberstein 2, Christof 2, Heke 0, Blight 0, Blight 0, Barton 0.
Quarterscores: 16-24, 26-43, 43-58, 58-75.
